The team at Specsavers in Burnley donned their caps for Brain Tumour Research by raising more than £150 for the charity during Wear A Hat Day.
Burnley Specsavers joined stores nationwide to officially sponsor the charity for the first time and help raise awareness that routine eye tests can detect signs of brain tumours.
Patrick Mather, assistant manager at Burnley Specsavers, said: “Many people are unaware that eye tests are not only critical for your eyes, but your wider health too. A routine test allows opticians to detect serious issues that can be both sight and, in some cases, life threatening – including brain tumours.
“We use sophisticated technology to help alert us to more serious health issues. This includes digital retinal photography, which takes a detailed image of the back of the eye – the only part of the body where the circulation of blood can be directly observed. Images can be compared on future visits to keep a watchful eye on a patient’s health.”
Wear A Hat Day has raised over £1million since it was launched by the charity Brain Tumour Research nine years ago. Staff at Specsavers organised a ‘Clean your glasses for Charity’ stand in Burnley Charter Walk Shopping centre and asked customers to donate towards the cause. A total of £152.58 was raised.
Patrick added: “This is a great way to raise awareness of a very serious issue. As a team we’re really looking forward to raising as much money as possible in order to help Brain Tumour Research continue with its invaluable research.
“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.”
Funds raised on Wear A Hat Day will be used to build a network of experts in world-class, sustainable brain tumour research in Centres of Excellence across the UK.
